Police appeal after flagstone thieves target second historic church in a week in Ribble Valley

Intruders struck at St Mary's and All Saints Church in Whalley yesterday, helping themselves to a number of valuable flagstones, just three days after the entire path was removed from St Ambrose Church in Grindleton.

Several large, heavy York stone slabs, worth thousands of pounds, were carefully removed from the path that leads to the entrance to St Ambrose that was built in 1803.

Patrols will now keep an eye on local churches in a bid to prevent any further thefts but police are appealing for help from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or captured anyone on CCTV in the area that could help with the investigation.

They have also asked for the public's help to prevent the thefts by looking into deterrents including products you can buy that mark the stones to identify them, making them harder to sell on for the thieves.

They have also asked that residents keep properties well lit and consider installing CCTV.

If anyone has seen or heard anything suspicious this week, or captured anything on CCTV, please get in touch via [email protected].

In August, 2020, thieves struck at St John the Evangelist Church in Worsthorne, Burnley, ripping up flagstones bordering a wall of remembrance.